CitySwitch NSW & ACT Award winners announced

Sydney-based companies have been recognised at this year’s CitySwitch Green Office awards for slashing carbon emissions and improving building energy efficiency while saving money.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore congratulated winners at last night’s NSW and ACT ceremony at The Mint in Sydney.

“It’s terrific that our CitySwitch members are leading the way by reducing emissions and showing real environmental leadership while saving money,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Tonight’s winners are an example to the rest of Australia’s business in how to improve the environmental performance of their businesses and buildings in order to save money and tackle climate change.”

Property management group CBRE took home the NSW Signatory of the Year award for office space over 2,000 square metres, and building services consultancy Steensen Varming the award in the under 2,000 square metres.

CBRE has slashed electricity use at its George Street offices by 44 per cent leading to a rise in their NABERS energy tenancy rating from 4 to 5.5 stars. NABERS is an industry recognised tool to help tenants across Australia benchmark their greenhouse gas reduction performance.

Building services consultancy, Steensen Varming, has reduced energy by 12 per cent from its already 6 star tenancy. Initiatives include good management systems and an upgrade to energy efficient LED lighting at its office in Castlereagh Street, Sydney.

Echo Entertainment Group scooped the award for New Signatory of the Year for its ambitious energy and waste reduction targets. Projects commenced in the last year have already seen a reduction of nearly 4 per cent in energy and carbon emissions.

Echo is the first major entertainment group to join CitySwitch and to commit nationally to a waste reduction target as well as an energy reduction target. A national staff engagement program has educated and inspired staff to make environmentally-conscious changes both at home and at work.

“Echo’s involvement in CitySwitch is part of our ongoing commitment to greening our footprints in the communities that we operate in,” Echo’s managing director and CEO, Matt Bekier said. “We look forward to working with the City of Sydney and national councils to help further improve sustainability.”

The National Association of Community Legal Centres was named highly commended in the New Signatory category for initiatives including organics recycling, installation of energy efficient computers and printers and new sustainable procurement processes for cleaning products and paper.

The Partnership Award was presented to ActionAid and WWF Australia for their collaboration during ActionAid’s recent office relocation. Following their own successful move in 2012, WWF Australia shared knowledge and skills that helped minimise office fitout waste and ongoing energy consumption at the new premises.

The Lord Mayor commended WWF for sharing information about their own successful relocation in 2012 and setting a great example of how to make a positive impact on the environment by making simple changes.

“This is a great example of CitySwitch members working together for positive outcomes for the environment,” the Lord Mayor said.

“WWF was able to share practical advice with ActionAid such as creating a relocation committee to encourage best-practice and sustainable behaviour. These organisations are committing to a range of changes and positive action that will help address climate change and deliver environmental benefits Australia-wide.”

NSW and ACT winners:

Signatory of the Year - under 2000 sqm: Steensen Varming

Signatory of the Year - over 2000 sqm: CBRE

New Signatory of the Year: Echo Entertainment Group

Highly Commended (new Signatory of the Year): The National Association of Community Legal Centres

Partnership of the Year : ActionAid and WWF Australia

These NSW and ACT winners are now in the running for the National Awards, which will be announced at the Victoria State and National Awards event in Melbourne on Thursday 27 November. The event will be hosted by CitySwitch signatory Circus Oz in their 100 year old Spiegeltent.

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